Hand brake



UNITED STATES" PATENT j ortica.

HARLEY E. ANDERSON, oF (n+1-1501x1110,4 ILLINOIS, AssIGNon, BY MEsNE ASSIGNMENTS, To W. H. ivm-NER, INC., A CORPORATION or DELAWARE.

HAND BRAKE;

Application filed October 9, 192:2. `Serial 1Go. 593,457.

This invention relates to' improvementshin hand brakes for cars. In the present practice', aA common form of hand brakeemployed on railway cars is that 5 of the drop handle lever and ratchet type'.

In this type of brake, a vertical staff, .journaled in suitable bearings, is employed. In this type of vertical staff brake, and in fact, other types of vertical staff brakes, it frequently happens that the staff gets out of alinement with the' rotating means at the top thereof, due sometimes to excessive strain on the staff and at other times to loosening of the usual lower step bearing. l5 1When this action occurs, it is obvious that there will beundu'e binding of the parts requiring excessive exertion upon the part of the brakeman in setting the brakes.

The object of my inventionis to'provide 52 an exceedingly simple arrangement in hand brakes for railway cars, wherein the brake staff is so mounted as to prevent all binding 'of the bearings due to bending of `the staff in service. j

Another and more specific object of the invention is to provide an arrangement in hand brakes for railway cars wherein the brake staff and the ratchetL member are joined by aI universal vrocking connection, which permits lateral movement of the staff relatively to the ratchet member, to allow for the bending or flexing of the stafl' during the application of the brakes' without binding in the bearings.

Other objects will more Vclearly appear from the description and claims hereinafter following.

In the drawings forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 shows a vertical sectional view of a-hand brake embodying my improvements. And Fig. 2 shows a horizontal sectional view taken substantially on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1. i

In said drawings, 10 denotes the end wall of a car to which is secured a housing or bracket designated generally by the reference character A. The latter is formed with a back wall 11 secured to the car wall 10, and with a horizontally extending web 12 having` a bearing opening 13 therein. Said bracket is also provided with a vertically extending arcuate wall or web 1li and a horizontally extending web or wall 15 located above the wall 12, having a curved face 16.

rPhe usual vertical brake staff is indicated at 17 it being understoodthat the same will have al chain-winding means at its lower end receiving' a chain connecting with and leading to the brake rigging. At the upper' end, staff 17 is formed with a square portion 18 to receive a ball joint staff `casting indicated generally `by reference character B. `The latter is formed with upper and lower cylindrical portions 19 and 20 and intermediate radially projecting teeth 21. As clearly shown in `Fig. Leach of the teeth 21 istapered in a veiticalV direction and has a lower curvedbearing surface22. y

Surrounding the ball joint staff casting B is a hollow ratchet member indicated generally by the reference character C. vThe latter is formed with the usual upper and lower peripheral ratchet teeth 23 and 24, respectively, which are separated `by an intermediate cylindrical bearing flan-ge 25, adapted to co-act with the curved 'bearing facel on the plate 15. The ratchet mem- Y ber is also provided'with a lower reduced cylindrical bearing surface 26 received in the bearing opening 18 ofthe web 12. The hollow ratchet element C is provided interiorly thereofwith inwardly projecting teeth 27 co-acting with the corresponding teeth 21 on the casting B.v The teeth 27 are tapered ture with the lower curved faces 22 of the teeth 21. In this connection, it is pointed out that the cylindrical lower portion 20 of the casting B is arranged `in spaced relation with reference to the rib 30 to allow for a limited radial movement of the casting B within the ratchet member C, and that the slight vertical taper of the teeth 21 allows for clearance during the rocking movement of the staff.

A carrier member 32 of generally cylin- The. inner end faces of the teeth 27k drical form is provided having acurved vertical wall 33 partially surrounding the ratchet member C, a bearing opening 43 receiving the upper cylindrical bearing portion 4 4 of the ratchet member C, and parallel laterally extending vertical walls 34 receiving therebetween the operating lever or handle 35.r The latter is pivoted ony the pin 36 passing through the parallel kwalls 34 and is provided with the usual spring pressed pawl 37 adapted to engage with the ratchet teeth 23 when the handle is held in horizontal operative position. ,Y

Acover' piate v38 is .provided `for retaining the carrier in position` and preventing upward movement ot the casting B wit-hin the ratchet member C.V rThe cover plate 38 is Y. ratchet teeth 24 by a spring 42 interposed between the ratchet engaging end 'of the dog and the rear wall 11 ofthe housing. e

. In the operationy of myimproved hand brake, the handle is proper-ly engaged with the ratchet member Cin the usual manner, by raising the end of the handle 35 and the ratchet C is then rotated thereby towind the brake chain upon the statt 17 to tighten or c apply the brakes. `As the ratchet member C isrotated, theteeth therej on will cause the castingk B yto rotate therewith by engagement with the teeth on the latter, and thus impart rotarymoveinent of the bralrerstail 17. In theevent the staff l is bent or flexed under excessive chain-pull,

or by reason of the usual lowerstep bearing 'becoming loosened or distorted, the lack ot alineinent thus caused is automatically taken care ot by the universal connection between the casting B and ratchet C above described, thus minimizing tendency to bind.

I have herein shown and described what I nowV consider the preferred manner of carrying out'the invention, but the same is merely illustrative and I contemplate all changes and modiiications that come within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

'I claim: Y

1. In a device of the classl described; a bearinginember; a hollow ratchet element journaled in said bearing member,V said ratchet element being vprovided on the in-4 terior thereof with a curved bearing surface and driving teethimeans 'for rotating said ratchet member; a brake statt eXtend ingA intoV said ratchet element; a sleeve rigidly secured :to said stati `Vand having limited lateral movement within said ratchet element, said sleeve being provided with a curved bearing surface co-acting with said first named bearingl surface and teeth engaging said first named teeth, said teeth having limited play ina direct-ion radially oi said staff.

. 2. VIn a hand bralreimechanism, the combination with a brake stal adapted to be rotatably coniined adjacent one end and adapted tohave a brake tightening element connected therewith; of a support secured to the'rcarstructure; driving'means including a driving member rotatablyjournaled in said support, said driving member being provided with an opening `for the loose reception of said stati), and with a curved seat on its` interior; o'a rocking member associated with said stati and having a sliding and rocking engagement with said seat; and drivingeleinents associated with said driving' member and rocking member and arranged to permit movements therebetween while maintainingdriving connection.

In witness that I claim the foregoing vI havehereunto subscribed my naine this 20th day of Sept. 1922.

, HARLEY "n, ANDERSON, 

